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MaterniT21 Test includes Baby’s Gender as early as 10 weeks

There’s a newer test available for early health screening of your baby and it also can tell you the gender of the baby you are carrying as early as 10 weeks.

The MaterniT21 PLUS test, developed and validated by Sequenom CMM, is a laboratory-developed test (LDT) that analyzes circulating cell-free DNA extracted from a maternal blood sample. The test detects the relative amount of 21, 18, 13 and Y chromosomal material.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Free circulating DNA is contained within the mother’s blood. The source of DNA is thought to be from placental cells through the breakdown of fetal cells in circulation. The test only looks for the presence of the Y chromosome and chromosomes 21, 18 and 13 so the test is not as comprehensive as a CVS or amnio.

HAS THIS TEST BEEN CLINICALLY VERIFIED?

Yes, it has. The performance characteristics of the MaterniT21 PLUS test have been determined in a large clinical validation study with 4,664 pregnant women at increased risk for fetal chromosomal aneuploidies. This study was independently designed and analyzed by Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island (WIHRI), part of the Alpert Medical School of Brown University.